Molding-machine



WJB. GEORGE.

MOLDING MACHINE.

APPL'ICATION man MAY29| 1920.

Patented- Aug- 2,1921

2 SHEETS-SHEET INVENTOR if 3 BY I i 4 ATTORNEYS.

W. B GEORGE.

MOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION man MAY 29. 1920.

Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM B. GEORGE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOLDING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 2, 1921.

Application filed May 29, 1920. Serial No. 385,191.

To aZZ 't/JZZO'??? it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLLiM B. GEORGE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in h/lolding-ltlachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in moldin machines of the character commonly used for moldingsand for the production of metal castings.

The objectof my invention is to provide a machine which shall be capable of being easily and conveniently operated; which shall be so arranged hat the pattern plate can be quickly and easily remover. from the machine and another dropped into place in its correct and acsurate position; and in which the necessity of securing the pattern plate to the machine by screws or bolts shall be eliminated.

A further object of my invention is to provide a molding machine in which the sup.- porting and operating mechanism for the flask and pattern plate shall be easily removable to the end that it shall be convenient to change these parts to correspond with flasks of different dimensions.

Another feature of my invention relates to the reduction and substantial elimination of friction, in the several bearings of the chine, by the provision of bearing bushings which are self-lubricating and by which the wear is reduced to a minimum.

My invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a molding machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the machine;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the top plate and operating levers showing a pattern plate and pattern in position.

Fig. 4c is a central vertical section on the line 4 l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section on the line 55 of Fig. 4:; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a pattern plate with a. pipe T pattern thereon.

In said drawings, 1 is a base plate carrying a central standard 2 upon which the pattern plate and flask supporting mechanism is carried. A central horizontal shaft 8 is mounted on the base plate on the outer ends of which are mounted the lower ends of swinging vertical tie rods 41-. p I Carried on the upper ends of the tie rods 1s a rigid bridge member 5 to the under side of which is secured a top plate 6. The bridge member is adjustable vertically on the rods 4; by nuts 7 for adjusting the height of the plat-e 6 to properly correspond with the height of the part of the flask which may be used. In the operation of the machine the top plate 6 can be readily swung to one side as shown in dotted lilies in Fig. 2.

The mechanism for raising and lowering the flask frame for vibrating the pattern plate holder and for compressing the mold is carried by the central standard 2.

Upon the upper end of the standard 2 is a fixed piston head 9. This piston fits within a closed cylinder which is movable up and down on the piston 9 and is guided by the piston and by the standard 2 which is preferably a cylindrical rod. To prevent the cylinder 10 from turning around on the piston 9 and rod 2 I provide a guide pin 11 secured in the piston head 9 and projecting through a guide opening 12 in the lower head 13 of the cylinder 10.

The upper head 14: of the cylinder is extended to form a base plate for carrying the vibrating and the flask raising mechanism.

The standard 2 is provided with a central longitudinal air-passage 15 opening through its upper end and which passage is con nected at its lower end to an air pressure supply 16 controlled by a three-way cock 17. Spaced above the plate 14 and secured in horizontal position is a rectangular plate 18. This plate is secured upon the top of a frame 19 which comprises a base plate 20 resting upon and secured to the plate 14- and vertical supports 22. Surrounding the plate 18is a horizontal rectangular frame 23 which is movable up and down relatively to the plate 18 and is guided on vertical guide pins 24 depending from its ends and guided in vertical cylindrical guides 25 upstanding from the ends of the plate 20.

The plate 18 is provided with a recess 26 adapted to receive and support a pattern plate 26 carrying a pattern 27 or a series of patterns, and the frame 23 which surrounds the plate 18 is adapted to receive and support the flask part 8.

The frame 23 is moved up and down relatively to the plate 18 by'means of a horizontal shaft 28 mounted in bearings 29 on the frame 19. On this shaft is secured a pair of crank arms 30 which are operatively connected to the frame 23 by vertically disposed links 31, the upper ends of whichare.

mounted on fixed pins 32 secured upon and projecting horizontally from transversely extending depending U-shaped yoke members 33 secured at their ends to the frame 23 and preferably formed integrally therewith. r

p The shaft 28 is oscillated for raising or lowering the frame 23 by a lever 34 project ing transversely across the right hand end of the machine and having a handle 35 in convenient position to be grasped by the right hand of the operator when standing in front of the machine.

On the underside of the relatively fixed plate 18 is secured a suitable air operated vibrating device 36 but as the specific construction of this device does not form a part of this present invention it is not illustrated in detail or described herein. The function of vibrating the plate 18 is to assist in drawing the pattern. This vibrator is supplied with air under pressure by a flexible tube 37 connected with a control valve 38 arranged on the lever 34 and having a plunger control 39 arranged in convenient relation to the handle 35 so that the operator can control. the valve 38 with the same hand by which he grasps the handle 35.

As the function of the lifting of the frame 23 and the operation of the vibrator 36 are closely related the close association of the handle 35 and the valve 38 is a great convenience and tends to the rapid and successful operation of, the machine. Air under pressure is supplied to the valve 38 through a suitable flexible connecting pipe 40.

In the use of machines of this character when it is desired to produce such an article as the pipe T illustrated, the drag and the cope in each of which half the mold is produced are placed in succession upon the machine and two identical molds are produced. Thereafter the cope is turned over upon the drag to complete the mold. It is well understood thatthis process requires the ac curate making and registering of the several parts with each other so that when the cope and drag are combined the two parts of themold will be accurately joined for pro.-

ducing a perfect casting, also that inasmuch as the cope is turned over end; to end upon the drag the pattern 27 must be accurately placed upon the pattern plate 26 and must be symmetrical upon the two sides of the transverse center line 41. It will be fur ther understood that some times it is necessary or desirable to make use of two different pattern plates to provide the two parts of the mold cavity in the drag and the cope and that under such conditions it is necessary that the several pattern boards and parts of the flask register accurately with each other.

For the purpose of accurately placing the pattern boards on the machine to effect this registration, I provide a narrow rectangular frame 42 around the outer edge of the plate 18 which defines the recess 26, which receives and registers the pattern plate 26.

The pattern plate 26 is laid on the plate.

18 in the shallow recess 26, which as described, it accurately fills and fits audit is not necessary to fasten or secure the pattern plate in any other manner.

The plate 18 with the rectangular frame 42 fits accurately in the rectangular frame 23 so that as the frame 23 is moved up and down it moves accurately at right angles with the pattern plate 26 and does not have any appreciable transverse or horizontal movement relatively thereto.

For accurately registering the part of the flask, whichever it may be, cope or drag, upon the machine, I provide vertical dowel pins 45 one on each side of the frame 23 and both adjacent to one end and at the opposite end at points symmetrically placed from a transverse center line of the frame 23 I provide corresponding bushings or holes 46 to receive cooperating dowel pins carried by the flask parts. The dowels 45 are received in cooperating bushings or openings in the flask parts. This arrangement of dowels permits the two flask parts, viz., the drag and the cope, to be accurately doweled together to produce a complete mold from a single half pattern, or patterns as described. I The plate 18 is provided with holes 47, one at each side through which the pattern plate can be readily lifted when it is desired to remove it from the machine. As the pattern plate is merely held in position within the frame 42 on the plate 18 it can be quickly and easily removed and another placed quickly and accurately in the machine without the loss of time which is ordinarily cousumed in securing and loosening such plates, and in adjusting them accurately to their positions. 7

Connected to the air supply is a flexible pipe 48 provided with a blow valve 49 for use in cleaning the several plates and the pattern in the operation of the machine.

The top plate 6 with the bridge member 5 and supporting rods 4 swing off to one side to a position where the top plate 6 is out of the way to permit the removal of the flask part 8. This element of the machine is held against swinging outby a right stop 4' on the frame of the machine. A spring 51. nearly counterbalances the weight of these parts. One end of the spring is connected to one of the l bars 4 between its ends and the other end is connected to a bracket 52 rigid with the stand ard 3'. The operating position of the top plate 6 is determined by a fixed stop 54L on the standard 3 against which one of the rods 4 is held by the spring 51. The bridge or cross bar 5 is provided with a suitable handle 55 for swinging the plate 6 out of and into position.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

' The flask and pattern supporting mechanism being: at the lower limit of movement, in other words, the valve 17 being closed and no air being admitted to the cyl inder 10, the plates 18 and 23 are in the relative position best shown in a, that is, substantially in a single plane. At such time the top board 6 and its carrying frame is swung to one side as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. A suitable pattern plate carrying the pattern or patterns desired to be molded, is placed in position on the plate 18 within the frame 42 and a suitable flask part either the cope or the drag 3 is placed in position upon the frame 23 and then the sand is deposited in the flask part upon the pattern. After sufficient sand has been placed in the flask the bottom plate is swung back to operating position and compressed air is admitted to the cylinder 10 through the valve 17, thus lifting the flask and pattern supporting mechanism and carrying the flask part up against the top board 6 and compressing the sand within the flask.

In this operation the pressure is transmit ted from the base plate 20 to the flask supporting frame 23 through corner posts 2( upstanding from the corners of the plate 20 which enter sand shields 23 which depend from the corners of the frame 23. The posts act as struts between the plate 20 and the frame 23 to carry the pressure and support the frame.

Having thus compressed the sand in the flask and around the pattern the next operation is to draw the pattern out of the sand. This is accomplished by first shutting the air oif of the cylinder 10 allowing it to escape through the three-way valve thus lowering the mechanism and then by means of the lever 34 lifting the frame 23 which carries the flask part 8 up away from the pattern which still rests upon the plate 18. In this operation of drawing the pattern, or in other words lifting the flask off the pattern, the operator can manipulate the vibrator as is desired to free the pattern from the sand as the valve which controls the Same is convenient for this purpose. The plate 23 and the pattern which it carries is of suflicient weight to hold it down as the flask part is raised. This action is of course assisted by the vibrator which normally loosens the plate and pattern from the sand before the flask part is lifted.

The frame 23 with the flask thereon is held in elevated position by the lever 34; which springs over upon the upper end of a fixed stop 34 for this purpose. After the frame 23 has been elevated the flask can be removed and another substituted.

The flask and pattern supporting mecha nism which includes all the mechanism supported above and upon the plate 14.- may be retained in position on the flat upper surfac by any suitable means such as the bolts 20.

As this mechanism is a self-contained unitary mechanism built upon the base plate 20 it can be removed as a whole from the machine by merely removing the fastenings 20 and disconnecting the air supply hose 40 and another similar mechanism substituted when it is desired to use a flask of different dimensions from the flask part 8 illustrated.

In order to avoid accumulation of oil or grease on the several bearings of the machine which would tend to accumulate sand and grit to be carried into the several bearings, particularly in the vertical guides 25 for the guide pins 24 which guide the frame 23 in its up and down movement, I provide bushings 56 in said guides. These bushings are made of hard wood such as maple, and which have been especially prepared by boiling them in a composition of graphite and paraflin. These bushings, impregnated with graphite and paraffin are self-lubricating and do not require the application of oil or grease. They are held in position by suitable set screws 57. The other bearings on the machine are likewise provided with self-lubricating bushings of this character.

As many modifications of my invention will readily suggest themselves to one skilled in this art, I do not limit or confine my inl vention to the specific structures herein shown and described.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the kind described, a pattern and a flask supporting mechanism comprising a relatively fixed pattern plate support, arranged within a relatively movable flask supporting frame, the pattern supporting plate having a shallow recess for receiving the pattern plate, a ledge surrounding the recess within which the pattern plate is adapted to fit with. its upper face in the plane of the top edge of said ledge. 1

2. In a machine of the kind described, a pattern support having a shallow recess in its upper side within which a pattern plate fits with its upper surface flush with the upper edge of the support, and a flask sup porting frame surrounding the pattern plate support and movable relatively thereto.

3. In a machine ofthe kind described, a pattern support having a shallow recess in its upper side within which a pattern plate fits with its upper surface flush with the upper edge of the support, a flask supporting frame surrounding the pattern plate support and movable relatively thereto, said pattern plate support provided with hand holes for convenience in lifting the pattern plate to remove it from the machine.

l, In a machine of the kind described,

pattern plate support having a marginal ledge forming a recess equal in depth to the thickness of the pattern plate tobe used therein, a pattern plate adapted to be received in said recess and to be removably retained in position by said ledge, a flask supporting frame surrounding the pattern plate support and normally arranged with its up; per surface in the plane of the upper surface of the pattern plate, and means for lifting the flask supporting frame to draw the pattern.

, 5. In a machine of the kind described, a pattern plate holder provided with a shallow recess adapted to receive and accurately register a pattern plate, it being merely necessary to drop the plate into position.

6. In a machine of the kind described, a pattern plate holder having a shallow recess adapted to be filled with a pattern plate, a relatively movable flask support surrounding the pattern holder and cooperating doweliug means carried by the pattern and flask supports for accurately positioning the flasks in relation to the pattern plate holding recess.

7. In a machine of the character described, a pattern plate holder having a recess of a depth of the thickness of the pattern plate to be used thereon, the walls of the recess adapted to retain the pattern plate afterbeing positioned by gravity.

8. In a molding machine of the kind described, a pattern plate holder provided with a shallow recess to receive, register and hold a pattern plate and the pattern plate being adapted to drop freely into place, and to be accurately and firmly held by the margin of the recess.

9. In a molding machine of the kind described, a holder for a pattern plate, the holder provided with a marginal ledge providing a shallow recess the depth of the thickness of the pattern plate and within which the pattern plate is accurately fixed and by which it is registered with the other parts of the machine, the plate dropping freely into place and adapted to be held in its recess by its own weight, and the plate being freely removable vertically from the recess.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 24th day of May, A. D. 1920.

WILLIAM B. GEORGE. 

